The Capture of the Tritons by Meissen

- Item No.

Key Features

Item Details

Width:
10 Inches

Height:
11 3/4 Inches

Period:
19th Century

Origin:
Germany/Prussia

A splendid porcelain group by Meissen entitled The Capture of the Tritons. In this nautical scene, two maidens pull an interesting harvest from the sea. In addition to a variety of sea creatures including a lobster, a barracuda, shellfish and a frog, two tritons, or escorts of the sea gods, are also ensnared. Modeled in the late 18th century by Meissen's premier artists, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Carl Punct, and Johann Carl Schönheit, this piece beautifully exhibits Meissen's famed attention to detail. A similar figure is featured in Meissen: Collector's Catalogue.

Bears Meissen crossed swords mark in blue under glaze.

Circa 1880

10" wide x 11 3/4" high

Meissen: The Allure of Continental Porcelain

Early in the 18th century, Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony, arrested alchemist Johann Friedrich Bottger and imprisoned him in the town of Meissen; his mission, to discover the secret formula for hard paste porcelain. In 1708 Bottger unlocked the mystery and found the key to both porcelain and his freedom, and by 1718 factories began springing up across Europe fostering an atmosphere of ferocious competition.

By 1720, the Meissen factory was producing wares that eclipsed even the finest Chinese porcelain. They dominated the European market and influenced porcelain production around the world.